When local authorities were asked to list their priorities earlier this year, tackling the number of young people not in education, employment or training (Neet) came out a clear first.
A study by the Improvement and Development Agency found that 117 councils considered reducing the number of Neets as their top priority in their local area agreements, placing it ahead of other concerns such as reducing teenage pregnancy rates.
The problem is that, despite numerous initiatives on both a national and local level, the number of Neet young people remains stubbornly high.
Government figures show that an estimated 9.4 per cent of all 16- to 18-year-olds in England were Neet at the end of 2007 - the figure was 8.9 per cent when Labour came to power in 1997.
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